Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

In a plasma processing apparatus that can adjust an induction magnetic field distribution of power feeding sections of an induction coil, correct a plasma distribution on a specimen, and apply uniform plasma processing to the specimen, the specimen is subjected to plasma processing, a dielectric window that forms the upper surface of the vacuum processing chamber, a gas lead-in section that leads gas into the vacuum processing chamber, a specimen table that is arranged in the vacuum processing chamber and on which the specimen is placed, an induction coil provided above the dielectric window, and a radio-frequency power supply that supplies radio-frequency power to the induction coil. The plasma processing apparatus includes a flat conductor arranged below the induction coil. The induction coil includes crossing power feeding sections. The conductor is arranged below the power feeding sections.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum processing chamber for processing a specimen; a dielectric window forming an upper face of the vacuum processing chamber; a gas supply device for introducing a gas into the vacuum processing chamber; a specimen table arranged in the vacuum processing chamber to place thereon the specimen; an induction coil arranged above the dielectric window; a Faraday shield arranged between the induction coil and the dielectric window to adjust an electric field generated by the induction coil, the Faraday shield being formed of a conductor; and a radio-frequency power supply for supplying a radio-frequency power to the induction coil and the Faraday shield, wherein one or more power feeding portions of the induction coil overlap each other in a circumferential direction, the Faraday shield includes a plurality of slits, each of which is arranged in a radial pattern and each of which opens at a same radial distance from a center of the Faraday shield, and wherein a single shorter slit faces an overlapping power feeding portion of the induction coil in a radial direction of the single shorter slit, and wherein a length of the single shorter slit which is opposed to the one or more power feeding portions of the induction coil is shorter than a length of all the other slits of the plurality of slits such that the conductor of the Faraday shield is located underneath the overlapping power feeding portion at a radially outer end of the single shorter slit. 
     
     
       2. The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a pattern of slits of the Faraday shield is not symmetric with respect to a point of center of the Faraday shield.